


Lacuna | BTS [2]

by Slightly_Obsessive



Series: The Soulmate Chronicles [2]
Category: K-pop, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, F/M, Fluff, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-10
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-05-05 00:51:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14605587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slightly_Obsessive/pseuds/Slightly_Obsessive
Summary: ~ SEQUEL TO ATELOPHOBIA ~Lacuna – noun. An unfilled space; a gap.It has been over a year since that fateful night at Jungkook’s mansion, and however much the Big Seven and their Soulmates try to keep their lives on the down-low, the public eyes is watching their every move.And when a marriage proposal is made, it becomes clear that fear and pride won’t be enough to keep the separated from staying that way. But nothing is ever as simple as shaking hands and starting over, and it seems this wedding will either make or break the lives of the Big Seven and their Soulmates forever.





	1. One

_**...previously...** _

Then a shout came from the end of the garden, making everyone turn their heads towards the sound, a little like meerkats alerted to danger. Silence fell across the group and confused looks were exchanged. Only when someone came storming towards the patio did people begin to move.

            “Eunbi, where are you going?” Minhee walked up to her.

            “Home,” she snapped, pushing right passed her.

            Minyoung sprang to her feet, making straight for the pavilion. “What did you do?” she demanded, even before Jimin came into view.

            “I don’t know. We were just talking and she freaked out.”

            “Why do I find that so hard to believe?” Minyoung said through her teeth, circling to follow Jimin back towards the house.

            “I swear, I was just trying to fix things.” They reached the patio, and both Minhee and Eunbi disappeared. “Where did she go?”

            “She said she was going home, and Minhee went with her. Where are you going?” Jungkook caught Minyoung’s arm as she swept past.

            “I’m going to find them.”

            “But you just got here.” His voice almost broke her heart.

            “I know, I know.” Minyoung swallowed hard, running her hands up and down his arms. He caught her waist and tried to pull her to him. “But she’s my best friend. I can’t just let her go.”

            “But I’m your _Soulmate_. Minhee went with her.” When she attempted to kiss his cheek, he buried his face in her hair. “Don’t leave. Please,” he mumbled.

            “I’m sorry. I have to go.” Slowly pulling out of his grip, Minyoung turned and hurried into the house, through the foyer and out the front entrance.

            At the bottom of the steps, Minhee cradled Eunbi in her arms. A car pulled up in front of them, and they got in.

            “Wait, Eunbi! I can explain!” Jimin came up beside her, yelling across the front patio.

            “Get back inside. You’ve done enough.” Minyoung shot him a glare, before running down to the car. She didn’t know what Jimin had said, but it had made Eunbi tear herself away from the one person in the world that she was destined to be with. And now _she_ had left Jungkook behind as well. Tears welled up and overflowed from her eyes. Not knowing when she would be able to see her Soulmate again, she got into the passenger seat of the car and watched through the window as Jungkook’s figure disappeared from view.

            Eunbi’s hitched breaths and heavy sobs filled her ears from the back seat, along with the soft coos of Minhee trying to comfort her friend. Ignorant to what had put her in such a state, Minyoung let selfish thoughts fill her head. Could she have just stayed at the party? Could she have just stayed in Jungkook’s arms and hoped that everything would turn out alright?

            But she knew that her place was at Eunbi’s side, however much it would hurt her. She’d stood against her Soulmate before, and for Eunbi, she would do it again. So, she let her own cries of anguish fall silently from her lips, willing a whole new kind of pain to fade away as the distance between them grew.

* * *

 

_**...one year later...** _

The waiter placed two plates down in front of the two young men, bowed, and left them both in the silence which they had been sitting in for the past five minutes. They sat outside at a table for two at a small café in Busan. After placing their order, there was really only one thing that they could talk about, and even on that topic they had very little to say.

            Jimin could only manage two mouthfuls before he set down his cutlery and sighed. “Do you think it bothers them as much as it does us?”

            “Jimin-hyung, I said I didn’t want to think about her anymore.”

            “We both know that that’s impossible. Until it’s all sorted, we’re not going to be able to do anything without thinking of them first. I would’ve thought you’d have realize that after a year.”

            Jungkook, having completely lost his appetite, looked at his friend with eyebrows furrowed. “That doesn’t make me feel any better.”

            “I know. It was all my fault.”

            “You’re right,” Jungkook clipped the end of Jimin’s sentence. “It _was_ all your fault. If you had had more self-control, your Soulmate would have no reason to be upset, and Kang Minyoung wouldn’t have run off and taken her side.”

            “It’s not like you to say her name.”

            “It’s not like it doesn’t hurt, but there’s no point pretending like they don’t exist, like they aren’t important. Like you said, they’re the first people we’ll think of before we do anything.”

            “Is there _anything_ we can do?”

            “I’m not the one who has to do something.”

            “That’s not true! You sided with me and she got mad at you, remember?” Jimin flung his hand at Jungkook in an aggressive gesture. The younger man huffed through his nose and stood up. “No, wait. Sit down, please. We can’t let this get between us. I feel like you’re all I have left.”

            Begrudgingly, Jungkook sat back down. “I don’t think I can do this for much longer.”

            “You might have to,” said Jimin, who was looking from his phone to Jungkook, and then back to his phone. “It’s Jin.”

            Swallowing hard and heaving a weighted sigh, Jungkook looked towards the sun, squinting. “Just answer it.”

**~**

Minyoung lay on the sofa, with her legs in the air, holding a book above her face. At this point during the Summer break, she had found that she had a lot of time on her hands, and very few thoughts in her head. Hearing the front door open and shut, she dropped her legs and sat up.

            “Hello?”

            “In here,” she called to Minhee.

            “Hey, is Eunbi in?”

            “No, she went out for lunch with a few friends. I don’t think she’ll be back until a bit later.”

            “That’s actually better.”

            “Why? Is everything okay?” Minyoung put her book on the coffee table and got up. “Did something happen with Jin? Is that why you’re back home so early?”

            “Oh my God, let me talk!” Minhee could hardly contain herself, grinning from ear to ear. “I was hoping you’d be the only one here, because I have some news.”

            “Okay…” The two of them sat down on the sofa. “What happened?”

            “He asked me to marry him.”

            Minyoung leapt back up. “Are you serious?” she squealed. “And you said yes, right?”

            “Of course I did.”

            “Oh, this is amazing! I can’t believe this is happening. I always thought Jisu and Namjoon would be the first to get married. I mean, they’ve been together for years, but this is just…I can’t…wow.” Overcome with it all, Minyoung collapsed back onto the cushions. “I can’t wait to for everyone to find out!”

            “When was the last time you spoke to Jungkook? Four months, is it now?”

            This deflated her excitement quite suddenly. “I suppose I’ll have to see him again, won’t I? It must be closer to five, I think,” she muttered.

            “What? That long?”

            “Yeah, it wasn’t a pleasant affair.”

            “I didn’t want to ask before but what happened?”

            “Well, we had just arranged to meet up…”

            _“I'm here with Jimin.” Minyoung felt her insides clench a little. “He wants to know how Eunbi is.”_

_“What does he want to hear? Does he want to hear that she is terrible, doesn't eat, sleep, or talk to us anymore?” She tried to stay calm, but it seemed so unfair for her to have to relay this message when Jimin could be trying to fix things himself._

_“He wants the truth.”_

_“She is quite well. She's doing well at university, she’s generally in a good mood. I know it’s surprising, but there seems to be something about being detached from her Soulmate that’s making things easier for her. I suppose I should ask how Jimin is doing.”_

_“Actually, he’s pushing though, has his ups and downs, but is well enough.”_

_“That's not surprising.”_

_“I just want us all to be together. It feels like we're making this so much harder than it needs to be.” Minyoung hated hearing his voice like this, especially over the phone. She couldn't reach out, touch his arm, or offer him any sort of comfort. Despite being a writer, she wasn't always so good with the words, particularly at times like this._

_“I know. But you must understand that Eunbi is still upset about what he did.”_

_“Why?”_

_“Do you know what he said to her?”_

_“Yes.” His deadpan responses were beginning to make her angry._

_“And you think it's okay, what he did?”_

_“Well, it's understandable. She didn't give him any sort of sign.”_

_“Oh right, and that justifies everything? You never gave me any signs; what if I had done what he did? Would you have forgiven me?” The silence that followed was enough. “He would have been mad at her if_ she'd _been the one to do it. Your double standards are bullshit! You have no idea how much it hurt her.”_

_“Minyoung, please.”_

_“No. You can call me back when you start seeing sense.”_

            He hadn't called her since.

            “I'm sorry, Minyoung. That's got to be tough.”

            “It's alright. You know how stubborn I can be. And sometimes I think that I still wasn't ready for it. Perhaps I was so caught up in finding everyone else their Soulmates that I just assumed I would be ready for a dedicated relationship when we finally met each other.”

            “No, no, I don't think that's it. The whole thing with Jimin has been tough for everyone-”

            “Yeah, I can't even imagine how hard it's been for you. And now with the proposal… Of course, it's amazing and I know Eunbi is going to be happy for you, but it does mean she will have to see Jimin again, and soon.”

            “What do you think we should do?”

            “Well, we can't keep it from her.”

            “No, we can't. I’ll text her and we'll tell her once we're all at home.”

            “That seems like the best idea. God, I just hope everything doesn’t go to shit. This is so incredible. You’re going to be so happy.” Minyoung give Minhee another hug.

            “I know. And don’t worry, everything is going to work out in the end.”

 


	2. Two

The phone began to ring. Dropping the plate she had been washing into the sink, Eunbi reached for the towel to dry her hands.

            “Hang on!” she yelled through the open kitchen door. The phone continued to ring. “I said hang on!” Hurrying into the living room, she threw the towel onto one of the sofas and picked the phone. “Hello?”

            “Hey, Eunbi. It’s Jin.”

            “Hi, Jin. Minhee isn’t in right now, but I can give her a message if you like.”

            “It’s alright, I can drop her a text. I just wanted to know if she would be free to go out for a proper celebratory dinner on Friday.”

            “I can’t imagine she would have anything more important to do!” Eunbi giggled. “Wait? Celebratory dinner? What the big occasion?”

            “I would have thought she had already told you about our engagement…which I can now see she hasn’t…” There was a very long and very awkward pause. “Well, I won’t keep you any longer. Thank you anyway. Goodbye.” And the line went dead.

            Eunbi placed the phone down slowly. Clasping her hands, she rest her chin on them and pierced her lips. She knew that she should feel happy for Minhee and Jin, and she probably would be, but it seemed that feeling was being suffocated by something she couldn’t quite wrap her head around.

            Why hadn’t Minhee told her? It wasn’t the kind of news that you would usually keep to yourself. Perhaps she didn’t want to call or text, just in case one of the reporters had been able to hack one of their phones again. But still, she could have left a note, she could have warned her.

            Eunbi felt so sick with worry that couldn’t concentrate on anything. She threw the towel into the kitchen and climbed the stairs to the bathroom. Quickly stripping off, she stepped under the shower and let the hot water drip all over her. This way, she wouldn’t be able to feel her own tears trail down her cheeks as they shook out of her. She could release everything she had been holding inside. And then, if she was lucky, she wouldn’t feel anything anymore.

**~**

Minyoung and Minhee returned home later that evening to Eunbi finishing cleaning the kitchen.

            “You alright? How was lunch?” Minhee asked, walking through the hall, leaning against the kitchen doorway.

            “Fine, yeah. It was nice.” But Minyoung sensed there was something slightly off about Eunbi’s voice as she climbed the stairs to her room.

            Minhee seemed to have sensed it too. “Is…everything alright?”

            “Yes, everything’s fine.”

            “Oh, okay then.”

            No one spoke until Minyoung had joined them. She glanced at Minhee, but she only shrugged with widened eyes.

            “So Jin called.”

            “Ah.” Minhee said, suddenly looking very uncomfortable.

            “That’s what Minhee texted you about earlier. We wanted to talk to you about it in person,” Minyoung said quickly, hoping to cut the tension. Minhee, grown woman as she was, rocked back and forward on her heels, twiddling with her fingers like a child being told off.

            “It would have been nicer to hear it from you, rather than over the phone from your fiancé.”

            “I didn’t know he would call,” Minhee spoke to the floor. “That wasn’t our fault.”

            “It’s no one’s fault.” Minyoung didn’t want to get sharp with her, because she understood a little how Eunbi was feeling. “I know this means that you’ll-”

            “I’ll have to see Jimin again.”

            “Yes, and it’s going to be hard for me too. But we’re going to have to make an effort because this is Minhee’s wedding! This is going to be the greatest day of her life and we can’t let anything ruin that.”

            Eunbi’s face softened and she looked as though she was about to cry. “I know that,” she said, relaxing her shoulders a little and rubbing her forehead with one hand. “I’ve sorry. I didn’t mean to react like that. I am happy for you, of course. I guess I’ve just has too much time to think about it.”

            “That’s why we wanted to be the ones to tell you,” said Minhee, “because we know it’s going to be tough. We didn’t want you to think that you were going into this alone.”

            “Well, I feel pretty stupid now.”

            “It’s okay,” Minyoung sighed before Minhee could speak again. “I felt a bit like that today. I imagine that…” she was hesitant to say his name, “Jimin is also feeling a little shaken by this announcement.”

            “I’ll admit, even _I_ wasn’t expecting it.” Minhee piped up. “I mean, it’s difficult to explain because once you’re with your Soulmate, it seems so obvious that you will be spending the rest of your lives together. But still, marriage seems so official. Of course, I want nothing more than to make it official, I just didn’t think it would happen so soon.”

            Minyoung smiled. “I’m glad. We were in need of some good news.”

            “Are you in need of anymore good news?” Minhee’s eyes glinting with a little mischief. Both Minyoung and Eunbi narrowed their eyes. “Well, if you’re willing to take on a little more of a struggle, I’d love it if you two could be my bridesmaids.” She then added quickly, “I was going to have a maid of honour but I honestly couldn’t pick between the two of you. I love you both so much.”

            Eunbi beamed, her beautiful eye smile shining like it hadn’t for at least a year. “We love you too,” she said, wrapping her arms around Minhee.

            “So…you’ll do it.”

            “Of course we will,” Minyoung joined in the hug.

            “Thank you! Thank you so much!”

**~**

“They’re getting married. I can’t believe this!”

            “I think it’s wonderful.”

            Jungkook gave his mother a look. “Yes, yes, it _is_ wonderful, for _them_. But whilst they’re getting married, some of us haven’t even started.”

            “You know,” Junghyun sighed, “I think I liked you a lot better before you went to stay up in Busan. Jimin really has rubbed off on you.”

            “Well, maybe I would’ve been better off staying there with him. At least he gets it.” Jungkook stood from the chair and walked across the patio, into the sunlight. “It’s easy for you to say that everything is going to be okay. You’ve made it, you’ve got your Soulmates. And this wedding means that I have to face her again.”

            “You make it sound like a chore. Aren’t you happy? Doesn’t this give you the perfect opportunity to make things right?” Junghyun got up to join his brother, lowering his voice so that their parents couldn’t hear.

            “But it’s been so long. What if she has decided not to forgive me?”

            “Let’s take a look at her track record then, shall we? She avoided you for years, and yet, even after all of the bad press you got, she had the guts to come to _your_ house to help _your_ father with his security issues. She then went to the restaurant opening to support her friends, even though she knew you might be there, and crashed your courtroom drama to get you out of the deepest pile of shit you’ve ever gotten yourself into. After all of that, she came back to you. Do you know why?”

            “Because she’s crazy,” Jungkook laughed, shaking his head.

            “Because she’s your Soulmate. You’d have to do a lot worse to warrant her disowning you.”

            “And after I didn’t call her?”

            “Yeah, she’ll probably be a bit pissed at you. But you can make it up to her.”

            “I was afraid that she might yell at me. I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

            “I think ‘sorry’ is always helpful, perhaps pay her a visit.”

            “I don’t know…” Jungkook sighed. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe Jimin had rubbed off on me a bit too much.”

            Junghyun licked his lips, clearly frustrated. “If that’s how you’re going to think about things, then I can’t help you.” He went back over to sit down with their parents.

            Regretting opening his mouth for what felt like the hundredth time in the past year, Jungkook huffed through his nose and walked back into the house. On all those occasions, Minyoung had come to him. Perhaps she would once again.


	3. Three

The next few weeks were manic, to say the least. Every spare minute was spent on thinking about the wedding. Neither Minyoung or Eunbi could walk around the city without popping into a flower shop or a gazing onto the window of bridal boutiques.

            When they weren’t at work, almost all of the Big Seven and their Soulmates started spending a great deal of time at Jin’s house. Jin fully intended to have all of his friends as his groomsmen, with Yoongi as his best man – an announcement which had made the man’s cheeks a little pink and his mouth spread into a rare, gummy smile.

            Hana had firmly taken responsibility of the accounts, often staring intently at a spreadsheet on her tablet. She and Hoseok would try talking seriously with Jin and Minhee about budgeting, but these conversation would end wild and extravagant imaginings of what the wedding could be. After all, it wasn’t as if they didn’t have the money to splash out a little bit.

           Taehyung, Rajin, and Minyoung would stand around the dining room table, pencils in the hands, behind their ears, and between their teeth, drawing out designs for the invitations. Hyerim would join them, with font ideas and printing contacts she had gathered.

            Namjoon and Jisu, who were almost always at work or busy with research for their jobs, would pop up on video chats, giving little snippets of input and sharing anything useful they had came across. Jisu had contacted the writer of a reviewers column at her old newspaper job and gotten all the best information on which shops, businesses, and venues came highly recommended by the experts.

            And, of course, the bride and groom were the busiest of them all. They would be in and out of each room, chatting with everyone and picking which designs they liked the best. It didn’t take them long to decide that the staff at the restaurant where they first met would cater the reception. It had remained a very special place to them. If only the other decisions they had to make were as easy. Minhee had been dreaming of this day for her entire life, and everything had to be perfect.

**~**

Jisu tilted her head forward, adjusting her hair in the mirror. This was her first live report after the promotion and nothing was going to go wrong. She was taking a great risk as it was; she couldn’t afford to make any mistakes.

            “Bae Jisu, they’re ready for you now.”

            Jisu nodded to the assistant and hurried out into the sunlight. She fiddled with the microphone on her collar. A small screen to her left showed a man and woman sitting at a desk in the news channel studio, their voices chatting in her left ear where the earpiece was wired in.

            “And now, for our celebrity news. An exciting announcement has been made by one of the Big Seven. It’s over to Bae Jisu, who is live in the centre of Seoul.”

            “Thank you, Miss Kim.” Jisu tried to hide her nervous, shallow breaths. “I standing here outside the very restaurant where, last year, Miss Choi Minhee made her first acquaintance with Mr Kim Seokjin, and today they have publicly announced their engagement. They have been engaged for over a month, but decided to keep it amongst friends until they were ready. You may remember that, at the grand opening of this restaurant, the mistreatment of Miss Choi was address directly by Mr Kim himself. He has issued another warning to the press, stating that if his fiancé or any of their associates receives any of the treatment even remotely resembling that of the past, he would not hesitate to press charges for harassment.”

            The cameraman made a swift cutting motion with his hand and gave Jisu and thumbs. The news would cut to footage of Jin’s statement and of the newly engaged couple, then would return back to her. Taking a few deep breaths, Jisu went over everything in her head. The cameraman began counting down on his fingers and she was back on air.

            “As it is, we are currently unaware of who these associates are, but there have been rumours. In May last year, photos were taken of Choi Minhee and six other women, two of which were thought to be the Soulmates of Jung Hoseok and Min Yoongi at the time, but all copies of these photos have since disappeared and no further captures of any of those women, whose faces no ones seems to recall, have been taken.”

            “But surely, these women will appear at the wedding?” Miss Kim asked from the studio.

            “I don’t doubt it. The Big Seven have been very secretive in the case of their Soulmates. Park Jimin, we hear, has spent the past year in Busan, and Jeon Jungkook, who quit his job as a defence attorney over a year ago, also moved to Busan a little over four month ago to start a new job as prosecutor. However, word has it that their Soulmates live right here in Seoul, so perhaps there is a little trouble in paradise. But it is as I said before, the Big Seven have done a good job of making their private lives just that; private.”

            “Well, thank you, Bae Jisu.” And the sound from the studio was cut off.

            “That was great. Good job on your first report as a senior. Keep tabs on this story, alright?” One of the producers smiled, patting Jisu on the shoulder.

            “Thank you, sir. I will do.”

            After taking off her earpiece and microphone, Jisu left the filming sight and walked towards the parking lot. Her blood still alive with the buzz of success, she decided to call her Soulmate.

            “Hey, Namjoon! Did you see my report?”

            “I did.” Jisu could hear the forced enthusiasm in his voice.

            “What did you think?” she asked, though cautiously.

            “It was good. You make a great reporter. I’m really proud of your hard work.”

            “What was wrong with it?”

            “Nothing!” Namjoon’s voice raised in pitch. “There was nothing wrong with your report.” Sensing his hesitation, Jisu pressed him for more. “It’s just that…well…”

            “It’s just that what?” She wasn’t angry, only worried she had done something wrong.

            “The subject of the report was a little…delicate.”

            “What do you mean?”

            “Well, don’t you think you’re a little close to the topic? I mean, what do you think the others are going to say when they see this? Aren’t you heading that area of celebrity news?”

            “What are you getting at?”

            Namjoon huffed through his nose, and paused. “Do you think the others are going to trust you now that they know you’re going to be reporting everything on television?” Jisu opened her mouth to speak, but no words came to her. “Babe, you still there?” 

            “Yeah, I just…I didn’t think of it that way. I have signed a contract with the channel, promising to investigate the Big Seven. It’s no big deal, I don’t have to tell them everything.”

            “It _is_ a big deal! You might not mean to, but something might slip.”

            “You don’t trust me.”

            “Of course I trust you-”

            “No! No, you don’t. Of all of us, the only person I need to trust me is you! That’s all I need! But you don’t.”

            “I’m just saying that it might not have been the best idea. You need to handle it with care. If the public find out that you and I are together, they’ll know that you’ve been getting insider information, and some of your colleagues might think that’s unfair.”

            “You sound like you’re just making excuses now. I’ve had such a good day and it feel like you’re trying to ruin it. I’m a big girl, I know how to handle the media.” And Jisu hung up before her Soulmate could say anything else.

            She knew he was right about handling the situation carefully, but she had already known that, she had accepted the risk. It might have been selfish, but after the promotion, which had come as quite a surprise in itself, she didn’t want to turn down anything else the channel offered her. Jisu had made her choice and she wasn’t ready to let go of the chance she had been given.


End file.
